This might sound a bit cliche, but The Lord of the Rings was that book for me. I read it when I was 20. I’d just started my first real job, I’d started to spread my wings a little and I’d finally gotten around to reading this absolute titan of a book.

Having been a massive fan of the movies I’m surprised it took me as long as it did to read the books, but I’m so glad I waited. It was the first time In my life I’d ever felt truly lost in a world.

I’ve not had an opportunity to revisit the books since I originally read them, but one day…

  • goodgame@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    Spike Milligan’s Adolf Hitler: My part in his downfall. One of Spike’s war memoirs; hilarious and sad, a unique insight into the common soldier’s experience, and a great way to learn history.

  • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukM
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    1 year ago

    Crumbs, that’s a tricky one as it was likely one I read as a nipper.

    I do trace my love of fantasy and sci-fi back to The Boy With The Bronze Axe, which was a great historical book for kids. From there it’s a clear line through The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to The Hobbit. I should also flag Star Wars up as a big influence - I was hungry for more of that so drank books down, on long drives over the holidays, I’d get through a book a day. I remember there was a book offer for schools and I got quite a few that way, especially the John Carter of Mars books. I trawled through secondhand book shops grabbing armfuls of whatever took my fancy.

    • SbisasCostlyTurnover@feddit.ukOP
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      1 year ago

      Big fan of The Hobbit myself. Obviously it’s a much lighter read than what came after, but it’s just as enjoyable and potentially even more readable. Looking forward to reading that to the kids when they’re a bit older.

  • jabjoe@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    I think I was about 12 and it was one of:

    • The Stainless Steel Rat - Harry Harrison
    • Truckers - Terry Pratchett
    • Protector - Larry Niven
  • PerCarita@discuss.tchncs.de
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    1 year ago

    Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss. I think I used to know it by heart when I was 6. Now as an adult I can appreciate how it must have been a riotous technical challenge to write a story using only 50 words, with the only multi-syllabic word being “anywhere”.

  • Protoknuckles@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Not sure what the first one was, since I’ve been reading since I was very young, but the book that transformed what reading could mean to me was Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Before that, I never knew someone could be so playful with language and meaning.

  • MDZA@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I’d already seen the first two films, so thought I’d start at book three.

    Still haven’t read the first two yet.

  • Auster@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Can’t remember much now, as it’s been well over a decade, nearing two, but what I do remember is that, when I was a kid, I had read “Raptor Red” that was lying in a shelf from my home, and I found it great.